


the pen's in my hand

by threefundamentaltruths



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Showbusiness, Bridgertons Being Bridgertons, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Non-Linear Narrative, Requited Unrequited Love, idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29248296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threefundamentaltruths/pseuds/threefundamentaltruths
Summary: Colin and Penelope are showrunners for hit Sondraland-on-Streamflix showBarrington, a soapy, steamyGossip Gal-meets-Upton Abbeydrama set in Regency England.Modern AU drabbles set before/during/after the run ofBarrington.Drabble the First: Wherein Colin thinks Penelope is pregnant, but it's actually Eloise.“I mean, we do have a pretty great track record on co-creations, Pen.”“A TV show is hardly the same as a baby,” she scolds, though only half-seriously.Drabble the Second: Wherein Colin and Penelope share a drink at his niece’s holiday recital.“You’re lucky I like you,” Colin says, handing the flask over with a wink.Drabble the Third: Wherein Francesca attends the Emmys as her brother's plus-one and makes mischief withBarringtonstar Michael Stirling.“Are you . . . hitting on Penelope . . . for me?” Colin sputters, equally red, as soon as she’s out of earshot.
Relationships: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton/Phillip Crane, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 202





	1. the ruby

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten." 
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr at [your3fundamentaltruths](https://your3fundamentaltruths.tumblr.com)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ll take that,” Penelope says, snatching the drink out of Colin’s hand before he can make an even bigger deal out of it.
> 
> “But you’re –”
> 
> “I’m what?”
> 
> He turns pink. _Pink._ Colin! “You know.”

When Colin first started his mixology course as combination new hobby/research for his next project several months ago, Eloise was his pickiest and most critical guinea pig. 

So, it’s no surprise that he’s saved her drink for last, offering her the chilled coupe glass containing her favorite cocktail, a [Ruby](https://www.liquor.com/recipes/ruby/), perfectly mixed, with a flourish.

Eloise instantly waves it away. “No, thanks, I’m DD-ing tonight.”

Colin raises an eyebrow. “Who are you and what have you done with my vodka aunt sister?”

“I –”

“I’ll take that,” Penelope says, snatching the drink out of Colin’s hand before he can make an even bigger deal out of it.

“But you’re –”

“I’m what?”

He turns pink. _Pink._ Colin! “You know.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know.” And then she realizes. _Oh –_ “Shit,” she blurts out.

Eloise has gone white.

Colin plucks the drink from her hand and sets it down on one of their side tables. “Excuse us.”

All the Bridgertons and assorted partners and children are staring shamelessly as Colin pulls her out of the room by the hand, down the hallway until he reaches their newly renovated bathroom. 

Once the door is closed firmly behind them, Penelope blurts out, “I’m not pregnant.”

Colin’s mouth drops open and he stares at her for a solid five seconds before composing himself. Then he points to the trash can. “But I saw your –”

“It wasn’t mine,” she says quickly.

“Oh,” Colin says very quietly.

“It was –”

“Eloise’s,” he finishes for her, slapping his hand against his face. “Of course.”

(Eloise almost talked herself into a full-blown panic attack when first telling her about her suspicions.

She had only _just_ moved in with Phillip and his niece and nephew; it was way too soon; it -

And so, Penelope had simply told her to breathe, that it wasn’t worth panicking over a mere possibility for any longer than necessary, then guided her to the car and they’d gone out and bought a test.)

And then they hear the particular combination of laughter, cheering, and teasing that signals the announcement of an impending arrival in the Bridgerton family; she can just make out Phillip’s usually quiet voice over the rest and Oliver’s stern demand that his cousin had “better be a boy.”

She laughs. “Yeah.” But when Colin doesn’t join her, she looks at him a little more closely.

He’s leaning against the bathroom counter, shoulders a little hunched. He looks . . . _disappointed?_

_Oh._ “Did you . . . did you want me to be?” she asks slowly.

“I . . . wouldn’t have minded,” he says diffidently after a long silence. “We have the room now.”

“Colin,” she warns.

“It would’ve been nice,” he finally admits with an uncharacteristically shy expression.

“Oh,” she says softly. They both want children, but until now they’ve only talked about it in a _when we have kids someday_ sort of way. But they aren’t getting any younger and she does adore their nieces and nephews and –

“I mean, we do have a pretty great track record on co-creations, Pen.”

“A TV show is hardly the same as a baby,” she scolds, though only half-seriously.

“But it does prove we’re an excellent team,” he counters with a grin.

“That is true,” she allows.

His eyes grow warmer and his grin a little softer. “And I couldn’t imagine a better teammate for this particular endeavor.”

“Nor could I,” she says softly, tilting her head up for a quick, chaste kiss, smiling into it.

“You know,” Colin says thoughtfully when they break apart, not quite able to suppress what is now a roguish smirk, the one she adores. “We could get started now.”

She can feel the warmth zipping across her skin and through her veins at the promises he makes with those oh-so-green eyes of his, but she is a Responsible Adult. They are homeowners now and hosting a family party. “With the family here?”

“My mother would _gladly_ move the party to hers if it served the cause of more grandchildren,” he assures her mischievously.

“Except it’s our housewarming party, which by definition needs to be at _our_ house, you dummy,” she says affectionately.

“Pity,” he sighs. But then he brightens. “How long do you think Eloise’s announcement will buy us?”

“No more than ten minutes and that’s only if they start arguing about names and somebody spills some –”

“That’ll do,” Colin murmurs, turning them and lifting her to sit on the counter in one smooth motion before setting to work.


	2. peppermint schnapps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drabble the Second: ok but pen/colin + sharing a drink (prompt)
> 
> “You’re lucky I like you,” Colin says, handing the flask over with a wink.
> 
> “God, I love you,” Penelope says with feeling before taking a large gulp of the peppermint schnapps he’d filched from their cast and crew holiday party two days ago.

“Why are we here?” Colin mutters to Penelope, who is looking nearly as green as her pretty sweater dress, clutching the congratulatory bouquet of seasonal mix flowers they’d gone halves on in a crushing grip.

“Because we are good people,” she replies.

“Are we?”

“And we love your niblings,” she reminds him.

“Oh no, no, no, don’t put all the blame on me. They’re yours, too. They call you Aunt Pen,” he reminds her petulantly.

“I’m an honorary aunt as a friend of the family. They’re not legally or blood-related to _me_. You, on the other hand, don’t have a choice,” his traitorous friend and writing partner counters.

“If I don’t have a choice because they’re my blood relations, why am I the only one of –” He does the math. “ _Nine_ non-honorary aunts and uncles here?” Somehow, not one of his other siblings or their significant others had been available to accept Daphne and Simon’s invitation to attend the winter holiday show at their daughters’ school.

Even his _mother_ had nearly texted her regrets, for God’s sake.

“I haven’t the faintest,” Penelope murmurs sardonically before sighing. “I adore Belinda, I really do, but she can’t carry a tune to save her life,” she informs him in a rather tragic undertone just before Daphne, Simon, Mom, and Simon’s eternally terrifying godmother take their seats. “I’m going to be white-knuckling my way through this, you know.”

When he pulls out the flask he’d hidden in his pocket and takes a generous sip as soon as the lights go down and the others are suitably preoccupied, Penelope doesn’t even scold him.

“You’ve got enough for both of us, right?” she whispers desperately.

“You’re lucky I like you,” Colin says, handing the flask over with a wink.

“God, I love you,” Penelope says with feeling before taking a large gulp of the peppermint schnapps he’d filched from their cast and crew holiday party two days ago.

He easily drowns out the little twinge in his chest with more of the liquor.


	3. old-fashioned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drabble the Third: Wherein Francesca attends the Emmys as her brother's plus-one and makes mischief with _Barrington_ star Michael Stirling.
> 
> “Are you . . . hitting on Penelope . . . for me?” Colin sputters, equally red, as soon as she’s out of earshot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by [this](https://your3fundamentaltruths.tumblr.com/post/642430887088275456) Parks and Recreation scene.
> 
> As always, you can find me on Tumblr at [your3fundamentaltruths](https://your3fundamentaltruths.tumblr.com). Sometimes I post about my writing and I'm open to prompts :)

“You know, I can’t believe I didn’t tell you already – those shoes are _amazing_ ,” Francesca declares admiringly at the Streamflix after-party.

Penelope twirls, kicking one foot up to show off the infamous red bottoms.

“And your dress looks great, too,” Michael chimes in, eying her with great appreciation.

It's true; Pen is serving _looks_ tonight.

In fact, when they'd all first met up earlier, Colin had just stared at Penelope for so long that she asked if she had something on her face.

Francesca nearly smacked herself in the face in frustration, saved only by the _can you_ believe _this_ look of commiseration she got from the fourth member of their little quartet that reminded her that she wasn't mad, that her brother really _was_ that stupid and Penelope was only so much smarter.

(She has no earthly idea how they've managed to pull off such a huge critical and commercial success between them.)

Francesca barely stifles a snicker as Colin chokes on his drink, something bordering on unholy flashing in his eyes.

If looks could kill, Michael Stirling, reigning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, would be dead at their feet.

. . . And she'd be stuck ringing Anthony to raise bail for their idiot brother.

Penelope ducks her head, smiling. “Thanks!”

“But I bet it’d look even better on Colin’s floor,” she finishes casually, as if the brilliant idea has only just occurred to her.

Penelope goes beet red and mumbles something about needing to top up her drink before fleeing the scene.

“Are you . . . hitting on Penelope . . . for me?” Colin sputters, equally red, as soon as she’s out of earshot.

Francesca shrugs innocently.

Michael smirks. “You haven’t been doing a very good job of doing it for yourself, now have you, boss?”

Colin growls and finishes his old-fashioned – whiskey being his “in my feelings” beverage of choice, which one would think he wouldn’t need after just having won his fifth Emmy – in a single gulp. “I need another drink,” he mutters, storming off.

“Mr. Stirling,” says a familiar voice from behind them. 

The infamous _Sondra Brimes_.

For all that she is quieter (than the rest of her family), Francesca is not shy and yet she’s always been too shy to speak to Sondra when the opportunity has presented itself.

“Sondra,” Michael says smoothly with his best charming shark smile.

“Congratulations again.”

Michael ducks his head, oddly uncomfortable with praise for someone in a profession where narcissism is practically a part of the job description. “Most of the credit is due to the writing,” he says dismissively.

Penelope wrote the hell out of that episode, it’s true – and her own win reflects it – but Michael, along with his co-star, brought it to life, made it real, performed the alchemy that turned brilliantly written word into sight and sound, into something the audience gasped at and empathized with and cried over. They’d _earned_ their statuettes, too.

Sondra shakes her head with a faint smile. “It’s due to both, you ridiculous man.”

Michael shrugs.

“Anyway,” Sondra continues, mouth firm and tone scolding, “it seems that I need to run some interference because he’s going to spontaneously combust if you keep that up, you know.” She waves a hand in a vague motion clearly intended to indicate the matchmaking-slash-torture Colin just endured at their hands, but her eyes are laughing. “And whatever you may think of his handling of his personal life, he’s a very talented showrunner and _Barrington_ would be in trouble without him.”

Michael crosses his arms, a boyish smirk playing at his lips. “No, we wouldn't. Penelope would continue to steer us splendidly on her own. She did just win an Emmy all by herself, you know.”

“One: you know they always give each other notes. Two: do you really think she would steer _herself_ ‘splendidly’ without him?” Sondra counters with a knowing look.

Penelope _could_ , of course; she’s perfectly capable. But that doesn’t mean she’d want to.

Clearly lacking an easy retort for that one, Michael just changes the subject. “Speaking of Colin – Sondra, have you had the pleasure of meeting his lovely sister Francesca?”

She could kill him. She really could.

But then Pen would kill _her_ for killing the star of _Barrington_ ’s upcoming season – the most highly-anticipated one yet. 

Colin, on the other hand, would probably give her his weight in gold. It _kills_ him that he can’t kill off Michael’s character.

(And she knows Michael Stirling loves nothing better than throwing his job security in her brother’s face.)

When Sondra turns to her with genuine interest, she gulps and puts on her best smile. “It’s an honor, Ms. Brimes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess which Bridgerton book/hopefully also _Bridgerton_ upcoming season inspired the episode Penelope, Michael, and Michael’s unnamed co-star won their Emmys for? (Hint: It'll help if you figure out which Bridgerton character's _Barrington_ counterpart Michael plays first!) If you don't, you'll find out eventually . . .
> 
> (Also, when Francesca refers to Colin's Emmy, she means the one they won for the show overall.)
> 
> Finally, blame TheSushiMonster for my initial impulse to model the actor on Michael turning into making Michael himself the actor.


End file.
